Pumpkin Creek Surface-Groundwater Dispute

Pumpkin Creek, a tributary of the North Platte River, historically flowed from eastern Wyoming into the Nebraska Panhandle through Banner County, and joined the North Platte River in Morrill County near Bridgeport. Over 20 years ago, Pumpkin Creek was closed to the issuance of new surface water rights by the Nebraska Department of Water Resources (now the Department of Natural Resources or DNR), due to streamflow reductions. In March 2001 the North Platte Natural Resources District (NRD) established the Pumpkin Creek Groundwater Management Subarea and closed the subarea to new well drilling. Existing wells must be metered in 2003 and quantities withdrawn reported in 2004. The Pumpkin Creek Subarea was established pursuant to a 1996 Nebraska statute authorizing NRDs to restrict groundwater uses to address conflicts between surface and groundwater users. The Pumpkin Creek Subarea was established to deal with declines in both ground water levels and streamflows